PHITSANULOK - One person was killed and another seriously injured when a Bangkok-bound train hit their pickup truck on a railway crossing in Muang district of Phitsanulok province on Friday morning.
The accident occurred about 10.30am. Passenger train No112, from Denchai to Bangkok, ran into the Isuzu pickup truck crossing over the track in tambon Bueng Phra, police said. There are no barriers at the crossing.
The force of the crash tore the pickup truck in half. A passenger in the vehicle, identified later as Jakkapong Boonchu, 22, died on the spot. The pickup truck driver, Nopparat Dingklang, was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.
Pratchaya Panchan-ngarm, 49, told police he was cutting grass in the area when he saw the pickup speeding towards the crossing. The truck driver appeared not to see the approaching train, or hear its warning whistle, Mr Pratchaya said. He tried unsuccessfully to signal to the driver that a train was approaching.
There are frequent crashes at this unguarded crossing, which is about about 5 kilometres from Phitsanulok railway station.
Earlier this month, the government approved a budget of 27.89 billion baht to address the problem of dangerous railway crossings, deputy government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.
The Transport Ministry's plan to raise safety levels at railway crossings was approved, as was a proposal to build bypass roads around future Special Economic Zone (SEZ) cities, he said.
The plan is expected to be completed by 2017.
The cabinet instructed the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Highways Department and the Rural Roads Department to carry out the work.
The move follows a spate of fatal accidents at railway crossings in recent months.
According to Transport Minister Prajin Juntong, there are at least 2,517 railway crossings in Thailand, of which 1,933 are legal. Locals had created at least 584 illegal crossings as short cuts.